The day that thousands of fans of The Gruffalo have been waiting for has arrived- the new Gruffalo River Ride Adventure at Chessington World of Adventures has opened.

The ride officially welcomed its first customers at noon on Saturday (March 18) but Get Surrey was lucky to get an exclusive sneak preview on Saturday morning.

Based on the bestselling book by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the water ride has taken up its new home in the former base of the Bubbleworks ride, which closed in September last year.

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Little Mouse guided us on a picturesque riverboat journey through the deep dark wood filled with woodland creatures. There were exciting voice overs from the characters and magically lit areas leaving kids with memories of a great adventure.

The Gruffalo River Ride (Image: Stuart Richards)

The park was packed as families queued, eager to see how the theme park ride designers had brought the much loved tale to life.

Of course the star of the show The Gruffalo was there himself, posing with guests. Other famous faces included former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq, JB from JLS, Jenni Falconer, Jodie Kidd, Stacy Soloman, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Jason Flemyng.

Other Gruffalo themed events

There are plenty of opportunities to continue the Gruffalo fun once you have enjoyed the ride.

Youngsters come face-to-face with the Gruffalo in the Gruffalo Arena, which features a character meet and greet, photo opportunities and the chance to watch the film adaptation of the book.

There will also be goodies exclusive to Chessington in the gift shop, plus treats to eat at The Gruffalo Bites.